I get a lot of stuff like this sent to me, or someone links me in a post on Facebook, or I stumble across it in my ‘net ramblings. Most are “yeah, that’s pretty good” and forgotten instantly. These, however, are actually pretty great. Here’s the link to the article on Business Insider(of all places), but a few of my favorites are:

“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.” – Harper Lee, “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

“If you are using dialogue — say it aloud as you write it. Only then will it have the sound of speech.” – John Steinbeck, “The Grapes of Wrath.”

“The writer’s job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them.” – Vladimir Nabokov, “Lolita.”

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” – Mark Twain, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

And last, but not least, is my all-time favorite writing quote from The Old Man himself, of which I want to get this image as a framed poster for my office wall: